This is a collaborative piece by Kevin Farrar, head of sport partnerships for IBM in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
In today’s hyper-competitive world of sports and entertainment, fan engagement is the new currency.
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Whether it’s a tennis Grand Slam, golf major, or Formula One Grand Prix, premier sports events are now competing with other forms of entertainment for eyeballs in the attention economy, and that attention is increasingly fragmented. ‘Second screening’, where fans watch a live event while using a second device, is now the norm, particularly among the young. A recent study found that 70% of Gen Z fans use social media when watching sports at home.
Demand for shorter form, snackable highlights of lengthy matches is also on the rise. GWI recorded a 22% increase in 16-24 year-olds sports fans who watch highlights or recap videos weekly.
At the same time, a sizeable 66% of sports consumption comes from a core group of 22% of fans, and this group knows three times as much about their sport as the regular fanbase, according to Two Circles. Knowledge drives fandom.
Parts of the sports industry have been quick to take notice and capitalise on these trends. Technology – particularly the creative use of data with AI – has emerged as key to audience growth strategies. Many fans support this, with r reveaecent reports finding fans and professionals both rate AI as the technology that would have the most positive impact on sport this year.
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By GlobalDataAs fans worldwide embrace new ways to feel more engaged with their favourite sporting events and athletes, how can iconic sports institutions provide a digital experience that drives the audience growth and engagement they need to stay at the top?
Balancing heritage with innovation
From Centre Court to the pit lane and the putting green, sport today is as much about data as it is about athletic performance. The Wimbledon Championships offer a timely example of how sporting majors use AI and analytics to bring fans closer to the action. Every year, the tournament produces around 2.7 million data points across the fortnight, and millions more with the explosion of unstructured data.
For more than three decades, Wimbledon has continually stepped up its efforts to leverage that treasure trove of data, in partnership with IBM, to introduce new ways for fans to interact with the Championships. The latest example, launched this year, is ‘Match Chat’ an AI-powered assistant available through the Wimbledon digital platforms. It responds to fan questions during matches, handling both pre-written prompts and spontaneous queries such as “Who has converted more break points in this match?” or “Who is performing better?”. This feature helps Wimbledon to deepen fans’ engagement with a match in real-time, using a generative AI format that people, particularly younger generations, have now become accustomed to.
Similarly, Formula 1 generates enormous amounts of data during every race, from lap times and tyre pressure to engine performance and fuel consumption. When harnessed effectively, this data can shape race strategy, as well as leveling up fan engagement. During races, teams process streams of real-time telemetry, and some, like Scuderia Ferrari, are exploring how AI can help translate that data into richer fan experiences.
Through its collaboration with IBM, Scuderia Ferrari has redesigned its app to incorporate AI-driven features such as race recaps, post-race insights, interactive polls, fan messages, and highlights from iconic moments. The result is a more intelligent, interactive platform that brings the team’s 390 million fans closer to the action, the cars, and the drivers. Across the sport, other Formula 1 teams and leagues are also embracing AI to enhance engagement — from real-time data visualisation to augmented reality race previews — creating ever more immersive experiences for fans around the world.
Professional golf tournaments also generate thousands of data points from every shot played. To meet changing audience expectations and maintain engagement, the sport increasingly uses generative AI and advanced analytics. At The Masters for instance, fans can use the official mobile app to access historical insights into how each hole has played, based on more than 180,000 shots recorded over nine years, along with real-time ball positions on the course. The PGA Tour employs AI-driven predictive analytics to help fans anticipate player performance and better understand the nuances of the game.
Meanwhile, the DP World Tour (The European Tour) leverages AI-powered personalised content to create more engaging and interactive experiences. These advances are transforming golf from a traditionally quiet spectator sport into an exciting, interactive experience for new and longtime fans alike.
The future of AI in sports
Major sports events are competing for audience attention not only with other sports events, but with all forms of entertainment. Sports institutions with long histories are having to continuously reimagine how to create new generations of fans and keep them engaged. That means meeting fans where they spend time – on their digital devices. In a world where consumers, including sports fans, will become increasingly used to digital experiences that are personalised, conversational, and insightful, the role of data and AI in enriching the digital experience for fans will only grow.
As the range of possibilities expands at speed, organisations in sport – and indeed other industries – that embrace AI will not only be able to keep pace with what their audiences want, but they will continue to unlock new sources of commercial and operational value. The future of audience engagement is more than just digital—it’s intelligent.
